Nation Network Projected Finishes, 2011-12

We’ve gone from one end of the Nation Network to the other, polling writers from Canucks Army on the West Coast to Leafs Nation in the East (readers of the latter site, please feel free to substitute "Universal Center" for "East" in your minds) and everywhere in between.

What we’ve come back with are the Nations’ projected NHL standings for 2011-12.

Western Conference

San Jose Sharks

Projected Finish: 1st

Last Season’s Finish: 2nd

Range of Predictions: 1st-4th

Fully two-thirds of the writers polled projected the Sharks to finish atop the Western Conference after they finished as the runner-up to Vancouver in both the playoffs and regular season one year ago. Three of the remaining five had the Sharks winning their division, while Robin Brownlee and Jeff Angus preferred Los Angeles but still felt the Sharks would start the playoffs with home ice advantage.

Vancouver Canucks

Projected Finish: 2nd

Last Season’s Finish: 1st

Range of Predictions: 1st-3rd

Of the five writers who didn’t choose San Jose to win the West, four chose Vancouver to repeat the achievement. Additionally, the Canucks enjoy a distinction San Jose does not: every writer polled felt that the club would win the Northwest Division once more.

Chicago Blackhawks

Projected Finish: 3rd

Last Season’s Finish: 8th

Range of Predictions: 2nd-6th

The favourites to win the Central Division, Chicago is also a unanimous choice among our writers to improve upon their finish last season – after narrowly squeaking into the playoffs in 2010-11, no writer has them ranked lower than sixth in the West in 2011-12.

Los Angeles Kings

Projected Finish: 4th

Last Season’s Finish: 7th

Range of Predictions: 2nd-5th

Another unanimous choice to improve on last season’s finish, the Los Angeles Kings are expected by our writers to contend for the Pacific Division crown, and failing that to finish no worse than fifth in the West.

Detroit Red Wings

Projected Finish: 5th

Last Season’s Finish: 3rd

Range of Predictions: 1st-5th

Detroit joins San Jose and Vancouver as one of just three clubs that at least one writer expects to win the West (Jeff Angus of Canucks Army favours the Red Wings). Despite that, the overall expectation is that the Wings will be a victim of increased age, the departure of Brian Raflaski, and the resurgence of the Blackhawks, losing the division crown and sliding to the middle of the Western Conference’s playoff pack.

St. Louis Blues

Projected Finish: 6th

Last Season’s Finish: 11th

Range of Predictions: 5th-10th

Along with Chicago, St. Louis shares the title of ‘most improved club’ in our writer’s projections, jumping from 11th in the West last season to sixth place and a playoff spot, if all goes according to the consensus view. Just a single writer has them outside the playoff picture.

Nashville Predators

Projected Finish: 7th

Last Season’s Finish: 5th

Range of Predictions: 6th-10th

Nashville is the first team we’ve looked at that everybody polled feels will fall back from their performance last season (it’s because we’re all HUGE fans of J-P Dumont). Even so, the Predators are once more expected to compete in the post-season, with the consensus view being that they’ll pick up one of the final spots in the West.

Anaheim Ducks

Projected Finish: 8th

Last Season’s Finish: 4th

Range of Predictions: 6th-11th

If our writers are correct, the final spot in the West will belong to the Anaheim Ducks, last season’s fourth seed (and the playoff dark horse of many). As with the last two clubs, there’s a range of opinion on the Ducks, with some putting them just back of the top teams in the West, and others placing them well back of the pack.

Calgary Flames

Projected Finish: 9th

Last Season’s Finish: 10th

Range of Predictions: 6th-15th

Columbus Blue Jackets

Projected Finish: 10th

Last Season’s Finish: 13th

Range of Predictions: 8th-13th

Minnesota Wild

Projected Finish: 11th

Last Season’s Finish: 12th

Range of Predictions: 9th-14th

Dallas Stars

Projected Finish: 12th

Last Season’s Finish: 9th

Range of Predictions: 7th-15th

Phoenix Coyotes

Projected Finish: 13th

Last Season’s Finish: 6th

Range of Predictions: 9th-15th

Edmonton Oilers

Projected Finish: 14th

Last Season’s Finish: 15th

Range of Predictions: 11th-15th

Colorado Avalanche

Projected Finish: 15th

Last Season’s Finish: 14th

Range of Predictions: 11th-15th

Rank

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Angus

DET

LAK

VAN

SJS

STL

CHI

NSH

CBJ

ANA

MIN

COL

DAL

CGY

EDM

PHX

Belanger

SJS

VAN

CHI

DET

LAK

ANA

STL

CBJ

NSH

CGY

DAL

MIN

EDM

PHX

COL

Brownlee

VAN

CHI

LAK

SJS

DET

ANA

NSH

STL

MIN

CGY

DAL

CBJ

COL

EDM

PHX

Butler

SJS

CHI

VAN

LAK

DET

CGY

ANA

NSH

CBJ

STL

PHX

MIN

EDM

COL

DAL

Charron

VAN

SJS

CHI

LAK

DET

STL

NSH

ANA

CGY

CBJ

DAL

COL

PHX

MIN

EDM

Cleave

SJS

CHI

VAN

LAK

DET

NSH

STL

CGY

ANA

CBJ

MIN

DAL

PHX

EDM

COL

Davie

VAN

SJS

DET

LAK

CHI

NSH

DAL

STL

CBJ

CGY

ANA

MIN

EDM

PHX

COL

Drance

SJS

VAN

CHI

LAK

DET

STL

NSH

ANA

CBJ

CGY

EDM

MIN

PHX

DAL

COL

Gregor

SJS

VAN

CHI

LAK

DET

STL

ANA

CGY

CBJ

NSH

MIN

EDM

DAL

COL

PHX

Greer

SJS

VAN

DET

LAK

CHI

NSH

STL

ANA

CGY

CBJ

PHX

MIN

EDM

COL

DAL

Johnston

SJS

VAN

CHI

LAK

DET

STL

NSH

ANA

PHX

MIN

DAL

COL

CBJ

EDM

CGY

Mitchell

VAN

DET

SJS

CHI

LAK

NSH

STL

ANA

DAL

CGY

MIN

CBJ

EDM

PHX

COL

Willis

SJS

VAN

CHI

LAK

DET

NSH

STL

CGY

CBJ

DAL

ANA

PHX

MIN

COL

EDM

Wilson

SJS

VAN

CHI

DET

LAK

STL

NSH

CGY

ANA

CBJ

PHX

MIN

DAL

EDM

COL

Wright

SJS

CHI

VAN

LAK

DET

ANA

NSH

STL

MIN

CBJ

EDM

CGY

DAL

COL

PHX

Eastern Conference

Washington Capitals

Projected Finish: 1st

Last Season’s Finish: 1st

Range of Predictions: 1st-5th

Fourteen of 15 writers polled expect the Washington Capitals to finish either first or second in the Eastern Conference. Only Patrick Johnston of Canucks Army differs, placing the Capitals fifth for the upcoming season.

Boston Bruins

Projected Finish: 2nd

Last Season’s Finish: 3rd

Range of Predictions: 1st-5th

Coming off a Stanley Cup victory, no hangover is predicted for the Boston Bruins. Thirteen of 15 writers have the Bruins as the Northeast Division champions in 2011-12, with Cam Davie of Canucks Army and Allan Mitchell (Lowetide) of Oilers Nation expecting them to win the conference outright. Jason Gregor and Jeff Angus are the dissenters, pegging Boston for fourth and fifth, respectively.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Projected Finish: 3rd

Last Season’s Finish: 4th

Range of Predictions: 1st-7th

The top choice for conference champion for three writers (including yours truly), the Penguins find themselves the consensus selection to win the Atlantic Division. That said, there is some range here – three other writers have the Penguins starting the 2011-12 postseason on the road.

Philadelphia Flyers

Projected Finish: 4th

Last Season’s Finish: 2nd

Range of Predictions: 2nd -9th

A busy offseason couldn’t stop (or perhaps it even helped) the Flyers drop from second in the East last season to fourth in our projections for this coming year. Still, 20% of respondents had the Flyers reprising in their role as the East’s runner-up.

Buffalo Sabres

Projected Finish: 5th

Last Season’s Finish: 7th

Range of Predictions: 3rd-9th

If the Stanley Cup-champion Bruins are to be dislodged as divisional champs, the Sabres are the favourite to do it. Both Jason Gregor and Jeff Angus have Buffalo winning the Northeast, while five others (once again, including myself) peg the franchise to finish in the top-four in the East.

New York Rangers

Projected Finish: 6th

Last Season’s Finish: 8th

Range of Predictions: 2nd-13th

No other team got the range of response that the high-profile Rangers did, which is perhaps fitting given the way the club’s moves polarize observers. From Brad Richards this season to previous free agent prizes like Chris Drury, Scott Gomez and Wade Redden, the Rangers always make a splash.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Projected Finish: 7th

Last Season’s Finish: 5th

Range of Predictions: 1st-8th

Every writer has the Lightning in the playoffs for 2011-12, but only one expects them to walk away as the Southeast Division champs. Overall, they are regarded as a competitive team that shouldn’t move too far from last year’s 5th-place performance.

Montreal Canadiens

Projected Finish: 8th

Last Season’s Finish: 6th

Range of Predictions: 6th-10th

Rounding out the Eastern Conference playoff picture are the Montreal Canadiens, a club whose chances are liked at least a bit by pretty much every writer but not liked a lot by any of them.

New Jersey Devils

Projected Finish: 9th

Last Season’s Finish: 11th

Range of Predictions:5th-14th

Carolina Hurricanes

Projected Finish: 10th

Last Season’s Finish: 9th

Range of Predictions:6th-14th

New York Islanders

Projected Finish: 11th

Last Season’s Finish: 14th

Range of Predictions: 9th-14th

Toronto Maple Leafs

Projected Finish: 12th

Last Season’s Finish: 10th

Range of Predictions: 8th-13th

Winnipeg Jets

Projected Finish: 13th

Last Season’s Finish: 12th

Range of Predictions: 9th-15th

Florida Panthers

Projected Finish: 14th

Last Season’s Finish: 15th

Range of Predictions: 11th-15th

Ottawa Senators

Projected Finish: 15th

Last Season’s Finish: 13th

Range of Predictions: 11th-15th

Rank

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Angus

PIT

WSH

BUF

PHI

BOS

NYR

TBL

MTL

NYI

CAR

TOR

NJD

FLA

OTT

WPG

Belanger

WSH

BOS

PIT

BUF

TBL

NYR

PHI

NJD

CAR

MTL

TOR

WPG

NYI

OTT

FLA

Brownlee

WSH

PHI

BOS

PIT

BUF

TBL

NYR

MTL

TOR

CAR

NJD

NYI

WPG

OTT

FLA

Butler

WSH

PHI

BOS

PIT

TBL

NYR

MTL

NJD

BUF

WPG

CAR

NYI

TOR

FLA

OTT

Charron

WSH

PIT

BOS

TBL

PHI

NYR

MTL

BUF

TOR

NJD

CAR

FLA

NYI

WPG

OTT

Cleave

PIT

WSH

BOS

NYR

BUF

TBL

PHI

MTL

NJD

NYI

WPG

CAR

TOR

FLA

OTT

Davie

BOS

WSH

PIT

TBL

NYR

PHI

BUF

MTL

WPG

CAR

TOR

NYI

FLA

NJD

OTT

Drance

WSH

NYR

BOS

BUF

PIT

TBL

MTL

TOR

PHI

CAR

FLA

NJD

NYI

WPG

OTT

Gregor

WSH

PHI

BUF

BOS

TBL

NJD

PIT

TOR

NYR

MTL

NYI

FLA

WPG

CAR

OTT

Greer

WSH

BOS

PIT

TBL

PHI

BUF

NYR

MTL

TOR

CAR

WPG

NYI

NJD

FLA

OTT

Johnston

TBL

PIT

BOS

BUF

WSH

PHI

MTL

NYR

TOR

NYI

WPG

CAR

NJD

FLA

OTT

Mitchell

BOS

WSH

PIT

PHI

BUF

MTL

NYR

TBL

CAR

NJD

NYI

TOR

FLA

WPG

OTT

Willis

PIT

WSH

BOS

BUF

NYR

PHI

MTL

TBL

NJD

TOR

CAR

FLA

NYI

WPG

OTT

Wilson

WSH

PIT

BOS

BUF

NJD

MTL

PHI

TBL

NYR

CAR

TOR

FLA

WPG

NYI

OTT

Wright

WSH

BOS

PIT

TBL

PHI

CAR

MTL

BUF

NJD

TOR

OTT

NYI

NYR

FLA

WPG

Your Call

If you’d like to track your own conference picks against the writers of the Nation Network, enter your selections in the comments section below. Anything entered before 5:00 PM MDT on Saturday will be accepted, and we will be tracking the results throughout the season and of course at the end of the year.

This also serves as a good opportunity to remind anyone who still wants to enter the Nation’s hockey pool to get their picks in on that post – the contest closes at 5:00 PM MDT today, so hurry!

I think predicting the Western conference this year is going to be very difficult and if someone gets it right it will be because of unforeseen circumstances or by the narrowest of margins. There are a collection of elite teams at the top that could all vie for the top 3, and then a large group of teams that can range anywhere from 11th to 6th overall. For the Oilers I would say with a healthy roster they could, emphasis on could, finish as high as 11th but with the injury history and the number of rookies on forward as well as the thin defense in terms of available call-ups they are only two or three bodies away from 15th.

The only teams that stand out in the West in my mind as being outside the groupings are Minnesota and Calgary. They are in between rebuilding (or re-tooling, if you’re a Flames fan) and competing, and closer to the former than the latter. (I hear Dany Healtey is going to have a “A” on his sweater this year, but I don’t think it will stand for “Assistant”)

The one thing I will guarantee for the Oilers is a lot of goals, some for, many against.